I recently received a sample, direct from the factory, of a Pearl Open Comb, TTO, and 3-Piece. These are identical to the Cadet branded versions as well as those from RazoRock. I received these as samples for evaluation before a possible bulk order. They came boxed in the blue plastic travel cases and black PEARL branded outer boxes. I wasn't overly impressed with the blue cases, mainly because the interior plastic piece that holds the razor in place is thin and brittle cellulose plastic and won't last very long (one was already cracked) making it mostly useless for travel. They also included a sample of their leather-like (they call it Ramkin) travel case and chrome razor stand.
I received the SHD-26 in the open-comb. In regards to build quality, it is hefty and feels like a quality piece in all regards. Plating on the top trim piece and head are both equally smooth. The knurling is deep and sharp. The black finish seems like it should hold up well and not scratch easily. The only complaint is a common one (and one shared with the safety-bar version) in that there is some play in the blade exposure which requires a bit of effort to ensure both the blade and top-cap are square with equal exposure on each side. On one shave I made sure the blade exposure/squareness was just right, and on another I intentionally set it as much askew as possible... much to my surprise, I couldn't tell a difference between the two. It is indeed an aggressive shave, but not unmanageable by any means. I found it to be just a notch more aggressive than its safety-bar and TTO sisters, and notably more so than my Merkur 20C, Lord L6, or Maggard LE #6. That said, it was easy enough to control and a superior shave to the Gillette Old Type (my only other OC experience).
I received the Safety-Bar in the SHD-21S. It's not super obvious in the picture up top, but the middle of the handle is a pewter-silver color and not the same chrome as the rest of the razor. I'm not personally crazy about the silver color against the chrome top/bottom, but the finish is top-notch for those who do like the combination. The head has the same finicky blade exposure issues as the OC version but, again, I compared dead-center and completely askew and couldn't tell a difference in practice. Based on the overall shape of the head and manufacturing in India, I have a feeling the same OEM is being used by Parker even though blade exposure isn't a common complaint on the newer version Parkers. The shave here is again more aggressive than my Merkur 20C, Maggard LE #6, and Lord L6, but not quite as aggressive as its OC sister. It's almost identical to the TTO in aggressiveness, but a bit more nimble under the nose thanks to the overall thickness of the head. If you're looking for a safety-bar razor that's slightly more aggressive than most, this is one worth looking at.
I received the SBF-12 as an example of the TTO. Honestly, this is my favorite of the three. The knurling isn't as deep as on the other two, but it's sharp and has a bit of barber-pole twist to it. The TTO mechanism is a bit difference... you hold the top trim piece right under the head and twist the entire handle. The plating on the TTO doors have some minor imperfections around the bottom edges and isn't as smooth at the three-piece heads, but it's very good overall. The aggressiveness is pretty much equivalent to the three-piece safety-bar, but with a thicker head. It's also not quite as easy to find the right blade angle compared to the safety-bar, which may be due to the flatter-than-average blade angle. The blade-alignment issues found on the OC and safety-bar versions aren't present on the TTO. There is a bit of horizontal play, but the blade exposure is constant and there is no skewing at all. Based on what I've written so far, the safety-bar should edge this one out. Maybe it's because I haven't had a TTO in-hand for a few years, but I just like this one more for no tangible reason.
The manufacturer included a chrome razor stand and "Ramkin" (aka vinyl) travel case. The razor stand is an upright knob-style stand similar to those sold by IKON. It fits all three included razors just right with minimal wobble and no tilt when seated. All of my other razors were too small in diameter at the base to fit. The chrome is smooth with no blemishes. I've never been drawn to this kind of stand, but this one has changed my mind and I like it quite a bit. There's not much to say about the travel case/pouch. It's nice enough, but doesn't feel particularly well made or luxurious. I normally toss my razors in a tupperware with all my other gear when I travel. If I were going to buy a pouch like this, I think I might but something a bit nicer than this one.
All-in-all, I'm quite happy with what I received. I don't know that I'll be placing a large order from the factory for my project, but I can highly recommend anyone looking for a heavy and quality new-production razor consider Pearl/Cadet/RazoRock, especially at the $15 clearance price from Bullgoose.
